Scientists shocked to find antibiotics alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia

[get_involved]

"A cheap antibiotic normally prescribed to teenagers for acne is to be tested as a treatment to alleviate the symptoms of psychosis in patients with schizophrenia, in a trial that could advance scientific understanding of the causes of mental illness.

The chance observation caused researchers to test the drug in patients with schizophrenia around the world. Trials in Israel, Pakistan and Brazil have shown significant improvement in patients treated with the drug.

Scientists believe that schizophrenia and other mental illnesses including depression and Alzheimer's disease may result from inflammatory processes in the brain. Minocycline has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects which they believe could account for the positive findings."

Scientists shocked to find antibiotics alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia - Science - News - The Independent

 

[Katzndogz]

They need to do something because marijuana increases schizophrenia and increases the violence among schizophrenics.

 

[waltky]

Possible new antibiotic from cave bacteria...

Naturally Drug-Resistant Cave Bacteria Possible Key to New Antibiotics
April 14, 2012 : New research findings suggest the key to finding a whole new variety of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections may lie with the resident bacteria in one of the most isolated caves in the world.

The U.S. scientists who conducted the study say bacteria collected from Lechuguilla Cave in the state of New Mexico appear to possess an innate resistance to antibiotics, despite never having been exposed to any human sources. Some of the bacteria had a pre-existing defense against as many as 14 different antibiotics. In all, the scientists say the cave-dwelling organisms showed a naturally-developed resistance to virtually every antibiotic currently used to treat bacterial infections. While this may sound like bad news, the researchers explain that finding isolated, drug-resistant bacteria actually is a good thing. They say it suggests there are many types of previously unknown, naturally-occurring antibiotics in the environment that can be developed for doctors to use against currently untreatable infections.

First discovered 70 years ago, antibiotics are only effective against disease caused by bacterial infection. However, decades of widespread overuse, especially in agriculture industries, and via over-prescription by doctors, has made increasing types of disease-causing bacteria - so-called superbugs - immune to antibiotics. There is increasing concern among scientists and medical experts that current antibiotic treatments could become completely ineffective against bacterial infections, which would be catastrophic for millions of people around the world suffering from diseases such as malaria. Meanwhile, the scientists who conducted the new research point out that none of the Lechuguilla Cave bacteria used in their work are capable of making people sick.

The study was led by researchers from McMaster University and the University of Akron, both in the state of Ohio. A report on their findings is published in the journal, PLoS One (Public Library of Science One). Bacteria are highly-adaptable microscopic single-cell organisms. One of Earth's earliest life forms, evidence in the fossil record indicates bacteria have existed for about 3.5 billion years. In addition to malaria, examples of other serious illnesses caused by bacterial infection include bubonic plague, tuberculosis, salmonella, and certain types of pneumonia and meningitis.

However, not all bacteria are bad or cause disease. Most are harmless to humans. Naturally-occurring bacteria in the human body help digest food, provide vital nutrients, fight cancer cells, and destroy disease-causing microbes. Lechuguilla Cave was discovered in 1986. Since then, the U.S. Park Service has tightly restricted access to only a few scientific researchers and cave experts per year. Surrounded by a thick layer of watertight rock, the cave also is geologically isolated. The scientists say it can take up to 10,000 years for water to reach the inner-recesses of the cave where they collected the bacteria samples for their study.

Source

 

[Peach]

Possible new antibiotic from cave bacteria...

Naturally Drug-Resistant Cave Bacteria Possible Key to New Antibiotics
April 14, 2012 : New research findings suggest the key to finding a whole new variety of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections may lie with the resident bacteria in one of the most isolated caves in the world.

The U.S. scientists who conducted the study say bacteria collected from Lechuguilla Cave in the state of New Mexico appear to possess an innate resistance to antibiotics, despite never having been exposed to any human sources. Some of the bacteria had a pre-existing defense against as many as 14 different antibiotics. In all, the scientists say the cave-dwelling organisms showed a naturally-developed resistance to virtually every antibiotic currently used to treat bacterial infections. While this may sound like bad news, the researchers explain that finding isolated, drug-resistant bacteria actually is a good thing. They say it suggests there are many types of previously unknown, naturally-occurring antibiotics in the environment that can be developed for doctors to use against currently untreatable infections.

First discovered 70 years ago, antibiotics are only effective against disease caused by bacterial infection. However, decades of widespread overuse, especially in agriculture industries, and via over-prescription by doctors, has made increasing types of disease-causing bacteria - so-called superbugs - immune to antibiotics. There is increasing concern among scientists and medical experts that current antibiotic treatments could become completely ineffective against bacterial infections, which would be catastrophic for millions of people around the world suffering from diseases such as malaria. Meanwhile, the scientists who conducted the new research point out that none of the Lechuguilla Cave bacteria used in their work are capable of making people sick.

The study was led by researchers from McMaster University and the University of Akron, both in the state of Ohio. A report on their findings is published in the journal, PLoS One (Public Library of Science One). Bacteria are highly-adaptable microscopic single-cell organisms. One of Earth's earliest life forms, evidence in the fossil record indicates bacteria have existed for about 3.5 billion years. In addition to malaria, examples of other serious illnesses caused by bacterial infection include bubonic plague, tuberculosis, salmonella, and certain types of pneumonia and meningitis.

However, not all bacteria are bad or cause disease. Most are harmless to humans. Naturally-occurring bacteria in the human body help digest food, provide vital nutrients, fight cancer cells, and destroy disease-causing microbes. Lechuguilla Cave was discovered in 1986. Since then, the U.S. Park Service has tightly restricted access to only a few scientific researchers and cave experts per year. Surrounded by a thick layer of watertight rock, the cave also is geologically isolated. The scientists say it can take up to 10,000 years for water to reach the inner-recesses of the cave where they collected the bacteria samples for their study.

Source

Anybody know if Clindamycin is better than Augmentin? Abscessed tooth is the infection.

 

[sherylbrane]

That sounds great, I have also heard there is some research is going on to use pig brain cells on human, this will help them to treat parkinson's. This is kind of great move and they are going to experiment this on human in the mid of 2013.

 

[Big Fitz]

They need to do something because marijuana increases schizophrenia and increases the violence among schizophrenics.

but but but... always mellow?

 

[Oddball]

Antibiotics build immunity from them rather quickly.

What happens when your psych patient gets a bad infection?

 

[Political Junky]

They need to do something because marijuana increases schizophrenia and increases the violence among schizophrenics.

Link?

 

[Noomi]

Even if this is true, and the antibiotic actually does work, will a doctor willingly prescribe it, or would they prefer to stick to the more expensive, heavier drugs? And what would the drug companies think about this? I can't imagine they'd be too happy.

 

[MHunterB]

Maybe not, but then 90% of stomach ulcers cleared up with antibiotics, as they were caused by a bug known as H. pylorii.

Treating ulcers used to be a very expensive and invasive procedure - now we can keep them from ever getting started, for the most part.

I wouldn't worry about the drug companies and the doctors too much: there is always something else to work on, it seems.

 

[amrchaos]

Antibiotics build immunity from them rather quickly.

What happens when your psych patient gets a bad infection?

One drug treats 2 illness!

A psych patient with an infection--give him anti-shcizy antibiotics!! What a bonanza for the medical profession--and healthcare costs too!!

 

[waltky]

possum wonderin' if dat means ya don't have to get a shot when ya go to the doctor anymore...

Researchers Make Critical Antibiotic Alternative Discovery
August 05, 2012 - Researchers say anti-bacterial protein, PlyC could be effective antibiotic alternative

Researchers in Australia say they have made a critical discovery in the search for an alternative to antibiotics. Scientists say it is important to find new ways to treat illnesses without antibiotics, many of which are becoming less effective because microbes are becoming more resistant. A team at Monash University in Melbourne believes an antibacterial viral protein called PlyC could be used as an alternative to antibiotics. It was first identified as a possible treatment for infections in 1925 but research was abandoned following the discovery of antibiotics.

After six years studying the structure of the protein with colleagues at the Rockefeller University and University of Maryland, Australian researchers have worked out how it kills the bacteria that cause sore throats, pneumonia and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Dr. Sheena McGowan from Monash University describes the protein as a potent bacterial killing machine that resembles a flying saucer carrying a pair of warheads. It works by locking onto the surface of the bacterium and then boring though the exterior to destroy it.

McGowan says it could be invaluable when conditions such as pneumonia do not respond to traditional treatments. “There is antibiotics at the moment for those particular types of diseases. We sort of see that there's a bit of resistance being built up in the bacterial community almost, and some of our antibiotics aren't quite as effective as they used to be," McGowan said. "So this kind of ground route, basic research needs to be done quite early so that we have some time to develop them as safe human therapeutic over the timeframe when the antibiotics can keep working.”

Australian and U.S. researchers have been decoding PlyC's atomic structure, which is an important step in developing the protein into a drug. The breakthrough has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. An effective human treatment delivered by nasal spray or pill is thought to be at least a decade away, but scientists have had success in treating streptococcal infections in mice.

Source